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OVER the next fortnight the Coffs Coast Advocate will try to find who has been the best sports people the Coffs Coast has produced over the past decade (2004-2013).

Sports Editor Brad Greenshields has been charged with getting the ball rolling by nominating who he thinks is the top 10.

That list will be revealed in Wednesday's Advocate.

From that point on, your votes in a poll on the Advocate website will help to determine who will be named among the top five.

Greenshields had a tough time narrowing down the list to 10, especially when you see the quality of the top 25 he started with in the list below (in alphabetical order).

There are 23 fantastic sports people and two incredible race horses in his top 25.

The sports editor knows there's a couple of people who could easily have sneaked in to the top 25 and he offers his apologies to about three or four who missed out.

Having gone over the past decade though, the list shows there have been some incredible performances at a national and international level.

World titles, Olympic medals, fame and in some cases a fortune.

Please feel free to make a comment and let Mr Greenshields know what you think of his selections so far.

Liz Cambage - Basketball

Only 21 years-old but already there's so much the girl who started playing at Bray St courts at age 10 has achieved. The No2 draft pick for Tulsa Shock in the WNBA, an All-Star in her debut season and believed to be the first female to dunk at the Olympics.

Shaun Cansdell - Surfing

When on song there are few surfers who can match Cansdell's aggressive manoeuvres on a wave. The Mullaway product could make the surfing world sit up and take notice especially when he won the 2010 O'Neill Cold Water Classic Series as well as a runner-up finish at Fiji's Cloudbreak in 2006.

Glen 'Spike' Colless - Jockey

Colless is genuinely considered one of the finest horseman to ride on Brisbane tracks in the last 50 years and he has a couple of Brisbane jockey's premierships to show for it. Was second into the straight on Lachlan River in the 2005 Melbourne Cup before finishing fifth behind Makybe Diva.

Alex Croak - Gymnastics/Diving

Having already competed at Olympic and Commonwealth Games level in 2000 and 2002 as a gymnast, Croak made the switch to diving where she became Australia's first athletes to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in two different sports. The 28 year-old also won a silver medal at the 2011 world championships in the synchronised 10m platform.

Emma de Groot - Golf

Yet to explode on the professional tour, de Groot has a solid summer on the Australian circuit behind her now to attack a second crack at the US Symetra Tour in 2013, the level below the USLPGA. A string of good performances while playing in the University of Chattanooga saw her named the 2011 Southern Conference Player of the Year.

Cadel Evans - Cycling

Mountain biking through the hills around Woolgoolga gave the 2011 Tour de France winner his start in cycling. There is also a runner-up finish and two fifth placings for Le Tour as well as winning the men's World Championship road race and two appearances at the Olympics.

Sean Fensom - Rugby League

For four years NRL attacks have found the Canberra lock almost impassable. After captaining the Raiders' title winning Toyota Cup team in 2008 the former Bellinger Valley-Dorrigo junior famously became the co-holder of the record for the most tackles made in a single NRL match when he made an astonishing 75 in 2011 against the Bulldogs.

Sam Gallaway - Soccer

Former Coffs United junior who has been with the Newcastle Jets for four years. Highly touted AIS graduate who finally made his A-League debut this season after overcoming a horrendous run with injuries.

Kevin Gordon - Rugby League

The lightning quick Sawtell junior burst on to the NRL scene in 2009 when he was the top try scorer for Gold Coast Titans in his first two seasons in first grade. Represented the Phillipines in 2012 to help them win the inaugural Asian Cup against Thailand.

Clint Greenshields - Rugby League

After three years playing with St George-Illawarra, Greenshields moved to France in 2007 where he became the leading all-time try scorer for Super League team Catalans Dragons. Played Tests for France and was named at fullback in the 2008 Super League Dream Team. Playing for North Queensland in 2013.

Courtney Hancock - IronWoman

Winning the Telstra Ironwoman Series twice in the last three summers with a third place finish in between has put the former Sawtell nipper at the very pinnacle of surf lifesaving in Australia. Mastering so many physical disciplines in such a gruelling sport, it is Hancock's consistently strong performances that make her a champ.

Phillip Hughes - Cricket

The youngest player to make a century in each innings of a Test match as well as the youngest to score a ton in a Sheffield Shield final. The Macksville left-hander was destined for a baggy green from a very young age and he now has 22 Tests next to his name.

Harley Ingleby - Longboard Surfing

Riding any number of his large collection of boards at Emerald Beach since he was 4, Ingleby was going to make it big in surfing and has been one of the best in the world on a longboard since joining the World Tour in 2005. First victory was in France in 2008 but it was the win in Japan in 2009 that set the 29 year-old for his world title. Currently ranked No2 in the world.

Greg Inglis - Rugby League

Inglis will go down in history as one of the greats of rugby league. The Bowraville junior was named as the world's best player in 2009 after winning the Clive Churchill Medal as best player in the 2007 NRL grand final. Has scored the most State of Origin tries in history with 14 from 18 appearances.

Bill Latham - Wheelchair basketball

The wheelchair basketball player is a member of the Australian national team that claimed gold at the 2010 Wheelchair Basketball World Championships as well as a silver medal at the 2012 Paralympics in London. The 22 year-old plays professionally in Spain.

Emma Moffatt - Triathlon

Claiming a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics was only the beginning of a great run for the Woolgoolga girl with triathlons in her genetic make-up. Moffatt went on to claim world champion titles in 2009 and 2010 and could've won another Olympic medal in London if not for a fall during the bike leg. Still ranked among the top 10 in the world.

Natural Destiny - Horse Racing

In 2006-07 the Gordon Yorke trained gelding became the only winner of all three legs of the Doomben Summer Series (Group 3 Summer Stakes (1200m), Listed Doomben Stakes (1350m), Listed Bernborough Hcp (1615m))

Ben Newton - Wheelchair rugby

Winning a gold medal in wheelchair rugby at the London Paralympics was the crowning glory for the former Orara High student who has been playing in the in the National Wheelchair Rugby League with the Gold Coast. In 2010 the now 25 year-old was named in the national league's All Star Four and made his debut for Australia in 2011.

Zac Purton - Jockey

Originally indentured to Trevor Hardy, Purton claimed a Brisbane jockeys premiership in Brisbane while still an apprentice before moving to Hong Kong in 2007-08. Last year the Zak Attack won a Group 1 at Royal Ascot on Little Bridge before representing Hong Kong in the World Super Jockey Series held in Japan. The 30 year-old recorded two wins and was crowned champion. Currently in a neck and neck battle for the title of best jockey in Hong Kong.

Tamika Saxby - Squash

Last year the 19 year-old climbed up the rankings to be number 55 in the world. An outstanding junior culminated last year with Saxby claiming her seventh national underage squash title after victory in the Australian Junior Open. Overseas travel saw Saxby claim three Scottish titles as well as strong results England and Malaysia.

Cassie Scully - Sport Aerobics

The Sapphire Beach pocket rocket packs more exercise into a two minute sport aerobics routine than most people do in a year. After being a world junior champion, Scully was consistently in top five women in the world at the World Championships with her best result being a second place in 2011 at the Gold Coast. In October, Scully teamed up with Anthony Ikin in mixed pairs to finally win the elusive senior world title she'd been yearning for.

Paul Sheehan - Golf

Playing mainly on the Australasian and Japan tours, the former Coffs Harbour Golf Club junior has won the 2004 Fujisankei Classic, 2004 Golf Nippon Series JT Cup, 2006 Japan Open, 2006 Jacob's Creek Open and 2011 Victorian Open. Almost claimed a national title when he finished runner-up to Robert Allenby at the 2005 Australian Open. Having featured in top 100 in the world rankings at times, Sheehan has also qualified to play in two British Opens and a US Open but failed to make the cut in all three majors.

Takeover Target - Horse Racing

Archie was already a star when he moved with trainer Joe Janiak to Coffs Harbour in 2007 but he continued his sensational form as a local winning another three Group 1 races. In Singapore he won the KrisFlyer International Sprint before finishing second and fourth in his two Royal Ascot starts to be named Australian Champion International Performer for a third year. He then won two Group races in Perth before claiming more Group 1 victories in Adelaide and Sydney.

Jenna Tristram - Soccer

Having played in Australia's under-19 team in the World Cup, the Repton girl who made Toormina Oval her second home made her debut for the Matildas as a 20 year-old and was a member of the first ever W-League winning team when Queensland Roar won the 2008-09 title.

Lee Winkler - Surfing

In 2005 Winkler called time on an incredible professional career that saw him travel the globe for 10 years and consistently ranked inside the world's top 30.